The NBA has been on quite a run of unexpected news. There was the still-incomprehensible Luka Dončić for Anthony Davis trade in February, and the last few weeks have seen some stunning coach firings. It’s not exactly who was fired, but the timing of it. The Denver Nuggets announced Tuesday afternoon that they were firing head coach Michael Malone, with just a week before the postseason as the Nuggets jockey for playoff positioning.
They could finish as high as the third seed in the West, and as low as the eighth, certainly not the typical position a team is in before deciding to part ways with their coach. Had the Nuggets lost in the first round of the postseason, or even the second, it wouldn’t be terribly surprising to see Malone shown the door, but with three games left in the regular season is mind-boggling.
The same goes for Taylor Jenkins, who was similarly relieved of his duties with the Memphis Grizzlies at the end of March, despite his team sitting fifth in the West at the time. Both of these surprising dismissals are showing that one wrong step and any coach can be on the chopping block.
After Jenkins and Malone were fired, it’s clear that seats in the NBA could be hotter than we originally anticipated. With that in mind, it’s a great time to survey the land and assess which coaches could be next.
The Nuggets are wasting Nikola Jokić’s prime, and they’re running out of time to fix it
Sam Quinn
This one is the least surprising of the bunch, and if Budenholzer is fired it would be the Suns’ third coach firing in three seasons. Phoenix has been perhaps the biggest disappointment this season given the fact the team has a roster featuring Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. This isn’t a year in which injuries have played a significant factor as Booker and Durant have played in 60+ games, and Beal’s been featured in 50 games. Instead, it’s just simply been that the Suns haven’t managed to figure things out enough to harness the amount of talent on this roster. That’s in part due to the — still — top-heavy roster which plagued Frank Vogel last season.
As a result, the Suns have mustered up a 35-43 record and are on the verge of missing the postseason entirely. And while Budenholzer did try to employ an offense that featured more 3s, it didn’t amount to much success. The offense actually hasn’t been the issue, as the Suns rank 10th on that end of the floor, they quite literally can’t guard anyone. They rank 27th on defense, and allow the fourth-highest 3-point percentage in the league.
At this point, it just feels like the Suns are waiting out the end of the regular season to hand Bud his papers, putting a cap on yet another wildly disappointing season. And that’s probably not even the biggest decision Phoenix will have to make this summer, as Durant trade rumors continue to circle.
The Bucks fired Budenholzer following the 2022-23 season, just two years removed from winning a championship in Milwaukee. They replaced him with Adrian Griffin, who was then fired 44 games into his first season and was replaced by Doc Rivers in a stunning, strange move. Under Rivers, the Bucks have gone 61-53, and were bounced in the first round of the playoffs a year ago, though that was mainly due to Giannis Antetokounmpo missing all of the first-round series against Indiana.
However, with a largely healthy roster this season, Milwaukee has regressed offensively from a year ago. The Bucks have fallen from a top-six offense to 13th, and though the defense has dramatically improved, the Bucks are really only finding success against losing teams. Milwaukee is 11-20 against teams with winning records, suggesting that they’re going to have a difficult time when the postseason rolls around.
If Griffin was given a short leash on his tenure, you have to think Milwaukee’s front office will seriously consider a coaching change this summer, unless the Bucks make a deep postseason run.
The main objective is to optimize the prime years of Antetokounmpo and avoid squandering it on a coach who may not be the best fit for leading the team, potentially jeopardizing Giannis’ future with Milwaukee.
Knicks fans may be upset at the mention of Thibodeau in this context, but recent coach firings like Jenkins’ and Malone’s highlight the uncertainty in coaching positions. Under Thibodeau, the Knicks have made a remarkable comeback, supported by a competent front office and a strong roster. However, Thibodeau’s intense coaching style has led to concerns about player workload and injuries, which could impact the team’s performance in crucial moments.
On the other hand, Nurse’s tenure with the Sixers has been marred by injuries to key players like Embiid and George, raising questions about his ability to maximize the team’s potential. Despite the challenges, the front office may opt for a coaching change to accelerate the team’s progress.
In New Orleans, Green has faced a tough season due to a roster plagued by injuries, including star players like Williamson and Ingram. As the Pelicans look to regroup in the offseason, a coaching change could be a strategic move to revitalize the team and align with their long-term goals.
Ultimately, the focus is on securing the best leadership to propel each team to success, taking into account the unique challenges and opportunities each coach brings to the table. given sentence:
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